Question reference: S5W-00784
- Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 15 June 2016
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Current status: Answered by Shona Robison on 27 June 2016
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to increase GP provision in (a) rural Scotland and (b) north Aberdeenshire.
Answer
The Scottish Government is fully committed to supporting primary care, including GPs, and ensuring that all communities in Scotland, including remote and rural, receive safe, reliable and sustainable health care services.
Over three years, the Scottish Government is investing £85 million, as part of the primary care fund. As part of this, £2.5 million will be invested in work to explore with key stakeholders the issues surrounding GP recruitment and retention which can be particularly challenging in remote and rural areas. This will support a range of initiatives over the next two years including the establishment of a Scottish rural medicine collaborative in seven health boards, including NHS Grampian. This initiative will bring together recruitment strategies and support networks for GPs working in remote and rural areas.